The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939 Page: 158
446 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southweslern Historical Quarterly
to be commended for the very excellent and readable textbook on
what he appropriately calls "the roots of American civilization."
In brief, the book covers the period of American history from
the discovery of America to the winning of American independ-
ence. But it does more than this. It opens with a discussion of
the factors which led to the expansion of Europe and shows how
the Norse zeal for Christianity working in the Crusades, the
travels of Marco Polo and others, trade between Europe and the
Orient, the Renaissance, and the national states were the "pro-
gressive forces" which in medieval times led to the discovery of
America.
Twenty-five chapters carry the narrative. The first four com-
prise the background, and the next four deal with the actual
founding of European colonies in North America. The ninth,
tenth, and eleventh chapters show the beginning of a definite
policy of commercial control. Then follow two chapters on social
structure and social conflicts. The fourteenth chapter discusses
the first two of the Anglo-French colonial wars, and the twenty-
first portrays the conquest of New France. The intervening chap-
ters cover the topics of immigration and expansion, the growth of
American capitalism, colonial society, culture, and religion, the
struggle for land and currency, and the conflict between colonial
self-government and imperial control. The burden of the last four
chapters is the narration of events beginning with the passage of
the Sugar Act and ending with the winning of independence.
This brief summary of the contents does not, however, reveal
the excellence of presentation, the easy, clear style, and the general
appeal to the student and the casual reader, nor does it reveal the
extraordinary amount of research and the consequent marshalling
of facts to produce a creditable and scholarly work. Each chapter
is sufficiently documented and ends with a bibliographical note.
Professor Dixon Ryan Fox, the editor of Crofts American History
Series, commends this feature of the book by saying: "Much care
has been given to these devices to lure the reader into further
inquiry." The actual reading of the book is the test of its appeal.
R. L. BIESRELE.
The University of Texas.158
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939, periodical, 1939; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101107/m1/172/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.